Sakura
Sakura (サクラ) is a major playable character from Fire Emblem Fates on the Birthright and Revelation routes. The youngest of the Hoshidan royal siblings, Sakura is a healer who commands the loyalty of Subaki and Hana as her personal retainers. Sakura is voiced by Hisako Kanemoto in the Japanese version and Brianna Knickerbocker in the English version. Profile Sakura is the youngest child of four in the Hoshidan royal family. According to Ryoma, Sakura was named after a cherry blossom tree that blooms particularly beautiful and enchanting flowers in Spring. Originally having another sibling in the Avatar, Sakura lost them when they were kidnapped as a young child and raised in Nohr. At the end of Chapter 6, depending on the side the Avatar chooses, Sakura's involvement in the plot will be altered. All Routes Sakura makes her first appearance in Chapter 4, where she and her older sister Hinoka are ambushed by a horde of Faceless. While Hinoka valiantly takes on the incoming Faceless, Sakura remains behind and provides her sister with healing aid. Fortunately for the pair, Ryoma, the Avatar, Kaze and Rinkah had heard of their plight beforehand, and together with their allies, they manage to exterminate the Faceless horde. After reuniting with her long lost sibling, Sakura takes the Avatar on a tour around the town of Hoshido in the opening sequences of Chapter 5. She later guides the Avatar to the town square to meet up with Mikoto in order for Mikoto to announce the return of her child. Tragedy strikes as the cursed blade of Ganglari that the Avatar owns explodes, destroying the town and killing Mikoto. With war inevitable between Hoshido and Nohr, Sakura accompanies her siblings to the Plains of Hoshido in Chapter 6, where the two armies meet in battle. As both Xander and Ryoma call for the Avatar to side with them, Sakura calls out to her sibling in desperation. Birthright If the Avatar sides with Hoshido, Sakura overjoyed with their choice, will aid them in repelling the Nohrian invasion. Following the events of Chapter 6, Sakura heads to Fort Jinya in Chapter 7, where she tends to the wounded soldiers and civilians alongside her retainers Hana and Subaki. The Avatar arrives on the scene to provide assistance, whereupon she introduces them to her retainers. The fort is suddenly attacked by Nohrians, prompting her to join the Avatar in warding off the invaders. After the battle, news revealing that Takumi and Ryoma have gone missing reach Fort Jinya, motivating the Avatar and Sakura to embark on a mission to locate them. Later on in Chapter 8, while the Avatar's army proceeds up the Eternal Stairway, they are unexpectedly ambushed by a band of "Faceless". The Avatar and Kaze proceed to fell them swiftly, only to learn later that the "Faceless" are, in actuality, Wind Tribe members unwillingly disguised by Iago. When the group enters Wind Tribe territory, Sakura attempts to convince two wary tribesmen that the deaths of their kinsmen were a misunderstanding. The tribesmen, recognising her status as a Hoshidan royal, grants Sakura and the Avatar's army permission to parley with Fuga. Fuga challenges the army to a battle to prove their innocence, and during the midst of the ensuing fray, the Avatar and Sakura are reunited with Hinoka. After leaving the Wind Tribe, the Avatar's army heads towards Izumo in Chapter 9. Sakura, Hinoka and the Avatar are invited into the palace of Izumo by Izana, where he promises to treat them to a treatment of relaxation. When Izana lures Sakura and the Avatar into a trap, Hinoka, along with Kaze and Saizo, manage to save them after she comes to the realisation that Izana's eccentric mannerisms are antithetical to his royal status. However, her theory is proven wrong when they meet the real Izana, who acts in exactly the way Zola has portrayed him. Afterwards, in Chapter 10, Sakura and the Avatar's army are reunited with Takumi, who unexpectedly emerges while they are in the midst of engaging the ninja of Mokushu in battle. Much to their immense horror, Takumi, in a hostile reverie, launches attacks on his allies. Fortunately, Azura manages to intervene by serenading a song to calm Takumi's mind and guide him back to his senses. Some time after a heated battle taking place on Wolfskin Peak concludes in Chapter 15, Takumi contracts a rare disease local to the region. Sakura informs the Avatar that one of the Wolfskins that they had fought earlier on could have been responsible for causing him to contract the disease. She also reveals that a lack of prompt treatment could result in his death. Fortunately for them, Ryoma recognises Palace Macarath in the vicinity, revealing that it possesses a well-stocked apothecary that very likely carries the medicine required for Takumi's recovery. The Avatar's army's subsequent attempt to enter the palace is, however, interrupted by Iago, who teleports into the palace in an attempt to halt their advance. The ensuing battle that follows sees Iago being defeated, whereupon he warps himself to safety. Flora, who happened to be stationed in the palace under official orders, then guides Sakura to the apothecary and the medicine that Takumi requires. When the Avatar's army later enters Castle Krakenburg in Chapter 25, Iago appears and takes full control over Takumi's mind, revealing that he has been used as a spy for Nohr for much of their journey. Takumi is then commanded to take Azura hostage while Iago forces the Hoshidan siblings to either kill Takumi or watch Azura die. Azura then attempts to sing a song to break Iago's control, only to be stopped by Iago himself, who is very well aware of her power. Fortunately, with Sakura distracting Iago and the Avatar's encouragement, Azura is able to sing the song and break Iago's control over him. The battles waged against Garon both in Chapter 27 and the Endgame see Sakura successfully helping the Avatar slay Garon with their army. Upon returning to Castle Shirasagi in Hoshido, Ryoma is crowned Hoshido's new king in a ceremony also attended by the surviving Nohrian royals as Sakura and her siblings proudly watch on. Some time after Ryoma's coronation, Sakura meets with the Avatar in the town square of Castle Shirasagi with her siblings, where they pray and convene to a new statue of Mikoto that has been erected in her honor. Conquest If the Avatar sides with Nohr, Sakura and her siblings will fight against them, although she is reluctant to fight them. Sakura makes her next appearance in Chapter 18, where she, alongside her siblings, encounters the Avatar and their siblings in Izumo. Ryoma immediately launches into a heated exchange of hostilities with Xander, and later attempt to engage in a duel, only to be stopped by Izana, the duke of Izumo. Izana then proceeds to confiscate the weapons of both parties before leaving the scene. He later reemerges with two soldiers and apprehends Ryoma, thereupon unveiling himself to be but a guise used by the deceptive Zola to kidnap the Hoshidan royals. Trapped in an execution room with her siblings, Sakura is later rescued by the Avatar's army, spearheaded by Xander's refusal to support Zola. Following the end of the ensuing battle, Sakura and her siblings join the Avatar and the Nohrians in a feast, during which they, despite their enmity, maintain peace in reverence of the laws of Izumo. Sakura later appears in Chapter 22, where she, alongside her retainers and Yukimura, stages a defence in Fort Jinya in a bid to halt the Nohrian invasion. Shortly before the start of the battle, Yukimura tries, but fails, to convince Sakura to retreat into the castle, as she resolves to fight in order to protect Hoshido. Sakura proves to be a menacing force during the course of the battle, a fact that she, when battling against Azura, reveals is attributed to her beginning her combat training following Mikoto's death. Despite the valiant defence staged by the Hoshidans, the Hoshidan forces are eventually defeated, and Yukimura calls for them to lay down their weapons and surrender. Although reluctant, the Avatar subsequently takes both Yukimura and Sakura as prisoners of war, knowing that this is the only means to protect her. However, as she is escorted away, King Garon arrives on the scene and orders that the Hoshidan soldier's be executed. Sakura wails for her fallen country men as she watches Hans and other Nohrian soldiers slaughter her countrymen. Captured, but safe, Sakura holed herself up in her cell, refusing to eat or talk to anyone. After the Avatar and their Nohrian allies end the war, Sakura appears with Hinoka to attend Xander's coronation as the successor to the throne of Nohr. Due to Ryoma's death, Hinoka becomes the new queen of Hoshido, while Sakura continues to provide her sister with support. Revelation In Chapter 8, while the Avatar and their army attempt to recruit people to aid their cause in Fort Jinya, they are attacked by the Hoshidan garrison, led by Yukimura, who believes them to be traitors. After the battle, Saizo attempts to blow himself up in a last ditch attempt to kill the Avatar after they are unable to explain the situation. Fortunately, Sakura and Kaze rush in and manage to stop Saizo. Despite not knowing who is the mysterious forces instigating the war between Hoshido and Nohr, Sakura believes in the Avatar and convinces Yukimura to trust her decision to accompany them. Sakura brings along her retainers and the Avatar welcomes Sakura into the army. When the Avatar leads their army to Izumo in Chapter 10 to consult Izana, they are ambushed by Zola, who initially impersonates the archduke but has his cover blown by Gunter. Following the conclusion of the ensuing battle, Zola attempts to take Sakura hostage in a desperate bid to save himself, only to have his deceitful plan foiled when Leo enters the scene and promptly executes him for cowardice. Personality Shy and timid by nature, Sakura is very polite to others but is prone to stuttering during her conversations, a fact that becomes especially prominent when she is nervous. She tends to be very easily intimidated when confronted with unfamiliar situations existing outside her comfort zone. These traits of hers particularly stand out when she is compared alongside her older siblings, all of whom are relatively more confident, self-assured and sanguine. Complementing her shy demeanor is a heart of compassion and kindness, a fact that has led to her devoting her life towards the cause of providing healing aid to others in order to alleviate their suffering. Hidden beneath the folds of Sakura's meekness is a strong will, one that emerges when she is tried by situations that threaten to endanger the lives of her loved ones. This fact is best exemplified through her actions in Chapter 22 on the Conquest route; although she clearly disdains warfare and harbours no desire to attack her sibling, she resolves to personally take up arms against them nevertheless for the sake of defending her homeland from their invasion. She is the best at healing out of everyone in the army. Her birthday is April 9. In-Game Base Stats |-|Chapter 5 - Mother= Staff - E |Item= Bloom Festal }} |-|Revelation Chapter 8 - Stigma of Betrayal= Staff - D |Item= Bloom Festal }} As an Enemy Conquest Chapter 6 - Embrace the Dark |-|All Difficulties= Staff - D |Item= Sun Festal }} Conquest Chapter 22 - Sakura |-|Normal= Bow - B Staff - B |Item= Silver Yumi Wane Festal Spirit Dust (Dropped) }} |-|Hard= Bow - B Staff - B |Item= Silver Hankyu Freeze Silence Wane Festal Spirit Dust (Dropped) }} |-|Lunatic= Bow - B Staff - A |Item= Silver Hankyu Freeze Silence Wane Festal Spirit Dust (Dropped) }} Revelation Chapter 6 - Into The Ground |-|Normal= Staff - C |Item= Bloom Festal }} |-|Hard= |-|Lunatic= Staff - B |Item= Sun Festal }} Growth Rates Class: |45% |35% |60% |50% |55% |70% |30% |40% |} |55% |40% |60% |45% |55% |70% |30% |40% |} |45% |30% |70% |50% |55% |55% |30% |35% |} Max Stat Modifiers | 0 | +2 | -1 | +1 | 0 | -1 | 0 |} Supports Romantic Supports * The Avatar (Male) * Jakob * Kaze * Silas Hoshido * Saizo * Azama * Hinata * Subaki * Hayato * Kaden Nohr (Revelation) * Xander * Leo Other Supports * The Avatar (Female) *Azura *Ryoma *Hinoka *Takumi *Hana *Elise (Revelation) *Sakura's children Class Sets Standard Sets |} Friendship Sets |-|All Routes= |} |-|Birthright/Revelation= |} |-|Revelation= |} Partner Sets |-|All Routes= |} |-|Birthright/Revelation= |} |-|Revelation= |} Special Classes |} Overview Base Class Set Sakura has relatively high growths in magic, speed, and luck while as well as middling growths in HP and skill. Her personal skill, Quiet Strength, is a passive skill that reduces incoming combat damage by 2 points for all allies within 2 spaces of her. She joins the party equipped with the Miracle skill—a defensive skill which, upon activation, leaves the user at 1 HP when s/he is hit by an attack that would otherwise incapacitate him/her; the trigger rate is the user's luck stat as a percentage. In terms of drawbacks, Sakura has relatively low growths in strength, defense, and resistance. Sakura is generally a reliable support unit. Thanks to her consistent growths in magic, Sakura can provide effective clerical and offensive support through rods such as the Bloom Festal or Silence, respectively. Moreover, Quiet Strength extends Sakura's capabilities to defensive support as it allows her to essentially enhance the defensive abilities of any proximal ally. At level 10, she gains access to Rally Luck, a skill which, on command, grants a one-turn, 8-point boost in luck to all allies within 2 spaces of the user. With this skill, Sakura can effectively increase her allies hit, avoid, and critical evade rates in addition to the protective effects of Quiet Strength. One of Sakura's promotion options is the Priestess class. As a Priestess, Sakura gains slight increases in her HP and strength growths at the cost of slightly decreased growth in skill. She also gains access to yumi, which allows her to take a physically offensive role whenever necessary; though her mediocre strength growth compromises her reliability to do so. Alternatively, should Sakura focus on more offensive roles, she may be able to deal high amounts of damage with the Shining Bow since it can scale with Sakura's high magic. The Priestess class offers two skills: Renewal and Countermagic. Renewal is a passive skill that regenerates the user's HP by 30% (rounded down) at the start of user's phase. It can greatly extend Sakura's longevity in the frontlines as an attacker or supporter, and it can sufficiently heal Sakura without the need of a cleric or healing ware. Countermagic is a defensive skill that immediately deals equivalent combat damage from magic users right back at them. Because Sakura may see inconsistent growths in her HP or resistance, she may seldom have the ability to exploit this skill without putting herself at risk; though the regenerative effects of Renewal will patch any damage incurred from utilizing Countermagic. Overall, the Priestess class grants Sakura the growths and skills to occupy the frontlines—either as an offensive or supportive unit—at a greater frequency. Sakura's second promotion option is the Onmyoji class. As an Onmyoji, Sakura gains an increase in magic growth at the cost of decreased growths in strength, luck, and resistance. She also gains access to scrolls, which can turn Sakura into an effective magic attacker, especially when considering her increased magic growth. The Onmyoji class offers two skills: Rally Magic and Tomefaire. Rally Magic, on command, grants a one-turn, 4-point boost in magic to any ally within two spaces of the user. This syncs well with Rally Luck and allows Sakura to enhance the offensive and defensive abilities of her allies. Tomefaire is a passive skill that grants a 5-point bonus to damage output whenever the user equips a tome or scroll. Should Sakura's career class wield tomes, this skill greatly augments her offensive abilities. The Onmyoji class essentially accentuates Sakura's supportive and offensive capabilities in exchange for her defensive growths. Quotes Refer to Sakura/Quotes. Possible Endings Sakura - Loving Priestess (慈しみの巫女, Jishimi no Miko lit. Shrine Maiden of Benevolence) : After Ryoma ascended the throne, Sakura led recovery efforts to heal the bodies and hearts of war-torn Hoshidans. She was known far and wide for her compassion and the strength of her resolve. ; Sakura and Avatar (Birthright) : Avatar was hailed as a hero, working alongside his spouse to spread peace worldwide. His wife, Sakura, dedicated herself to helping the underprivileged, and the two worked happily together. ; Sakura and Avatar (Revelation) : The two spent the rest of their lives together, Avatar ruling as the wise King of Valla. His wife, Sakura, dedicated herself to helping the underprivileged, and the two worked happily together. ; Sakura and Hayato : After the war, Hayato traveled the world before replacing Fuga as chief of the Wind Tribe. His wife, Sakura, dedicated herself to helping the underprivileged, and the two worked happily together. ; Sakura and Jakob : Jakob served as a butler for the rest of his life, but his true love was reserved for his wife alone. His wife, Sakura, dedicated herself to helping the underprivileged, and the two worked happily together. ; Sakura and Kaden : Despite marriage, Kaden continued to travel, returning favors. Later he served as chief of his village. His wife, Sakura, dedicated herself to helping the underprivileged, and the two worked happily together. ; Sakura and Leo :Leo sacrificed much for Nohr, leading the effort to spread King Xander's radical new policies. His wife, Sakura, dedicated herself to helping the underprivileged, and the two worked happily together. ; Sakura and Subaki : Subaki was appointed chief of the pegasus knights and served with a perfect record. His wife, Sakura, dedicated herself to helping the underprivileged, and the two worked happily together. ; Sakura and Xander : As King of Nohr, Xander laid the foundation of peace and prosperity for the kingdom. Sakura, dedicated herself to helping the underprivileged, and the two worked happily together. Non-Canon Appearances Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher) Name is illustrated in the trading card game Fire Emblem Cipher with the following cards: * * * * * * Etymology Sakura is the Japanese word for Cherry Blossom. Trivia *Sakura, Laura, Elise, and Azama are the only named characters who are staff-locked and cannot be recruited in the chapters that they appear in as enemies. *Her birthday, April 9, is the middle of Japan's cherry blossom bloom season. *In all chapters where Sakura can be fought, Yukimura is also present, even though he is not her retainer. **In addition, she is the only sibling that can be fought that does not act as an enemy commander; instead, Yukimura takes this place. *Sakura's official artwork and portrait depicts her with a Bloom Festal. **Her artwork as a Priestess in the Cipher TCG depicts her using Mikoto's Yumi. *Sakura shares her English voice actress, Brianna Knickerbocker, with Charlotte. *Sakura placed 7th in the official character popularity poll held on the game's official site for the females. *Hinoka's supports with Kaze reveal that Sakura is an entertaining writer. *Sakura is the only royal family member to join the Avatar's army prior to the recruitment chapter of her own retainers. *Sakura shares her critical quote "It's all me!" with her retainers Hana and Subaki. *Sakura's physical appearance as a Priestess is similar to Mikoto's. Gallery Category:Playable characters Category:Fire Emblem Fates characters Category:Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher) Characters